Accreditation

ACCREDITATION

In the U.S., vocational schools, colleges and universities are accredited by one of 19 recognized institutional accrediting organizations. Programs are accredited by one of approximately 60 recognized programmatic accrediting organizations.

The accreditors are private, nongovernmental organizations created for the specific purpose of reviewing higher education institutions and programs for quality. In most other countries, accreditation (or quality assurance) is carried out by government organizations.

We survey the school to determine how well the school is prepared for the accreditation process. We provide an assessment of what the school needs to do to meet accreditation standards, then we prepare the initial application, self evaluation report(self study), prepare institutional responses to commission questions, prepare for site or team visits, prepare site or team visit institutional responses, all forms necessary for the commission, staff and faculty development programs, staff and faculty retention programs, and assessment plans to name a few.

Accreditation is required for access to Title IV federal funds such as student aid and other federal programs. The federal government and accreditors sustain a cooperative relationship whereby government relies on accreditors to confirm the quality of institutions and programs in which students enroll using federal student aid funds. Federal student aid funds are available to students only if the institution they are attending is accredited by a recognized accrediting organization. The United States awarded $60 billion in student grants and loans in 1997–98.

The five key features of accreditation are:
• Self-study: Institutions and programs prepare a written summary of performance based on accrediting organizations' standards.
• Peer review: Accreditation review is conducted primarily by faculty and administrative peers in the profession. These colleagues review the self-study and serve on visiting teams that review institutions and programs after the selfstudy is completed. Peers comprise the majority of members of the accrediting commissions or boards that make judgments about accrediting status.
• Site visit: Accrediting organizations normally send a visiting team to review an institution or program. The self-study provides the foundation for the team visit. Teams, in addition to the peers described above, may also include public members (non-academics who have an interest in higher education). All team members are volunteers and are generally not compensated.
• Action (judgment) by accrediting organization: Accrediting organizations have commissions that affirm accreditation for new institutions and programs, reaffirm accreditation for ongoing institutions and programs, and deny accreditation to institutions and programs.
• Ongoing external review: Institutions and programs continue to be reviewed over time on cycles that range from every few years to ten years. They normally prepare a self-study and undergo a site visit each time.

Contact Approvals and Accreditation today for accrediting information and consultation. Call (909) 949-7307 or email Approvals and Accreditation.

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